Sighting device for guns



33-244). cm 2,052,571 5R Se t. 1, 1936. J. c. KARNEs 2,052,571

SIGHTING DEVICE FOR GUNS Filed 00%. 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invefitur James [3-Karne5 5 R Vivi 6J- ULUIVHLHHUAL IND! nulvnzw IO. ean nuu Sept. 1. 1936. Y c, KARNES 2,052,571

SIGHTING DEVICE FOR GUNS Filed Oct. 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6- r 26 4 H 22a. 2/a I V Inventor 6' James G.Karnes ay-M4 Attorney Patented Sept. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES seartp PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a sighting device for guns and is an improvement on the device shown in my Patent No. 1,859,564 of May 24, 1932.

Field artillery gun carriages are subjected to severe magma-gin travelling over rough ground at high speed'they'fieliuently overturn. Under these circumstances the sight mount, which heretofore has been the highest part of the carriage, is usually damaged or destroyed.

The purpose of the invention is to arrange the sighting device so that, by a slight modification, the angle of site mechanism may be utilized to lower the sighting device to a protected position.

A further object of the invention is to mount the support shaft of the sighting device without having it pass through the trunnion of the gun cradle.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is 11-- lustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the sighting device showing it in the operative position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the sighting device in the lowered or protected position;

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

There is shown at A the side plate of a gun carriage which is adapted to be rotated on a suitable base for the purpose of training the gun. A cradle B which is adapted to reciprocally carry the usual gun barrel C is mounted on the carriage by means of trunnions DD.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a bracket 5 attached to the left side plate of the gun carriage A by means of bolts 6 has a laterally offset portion 1 whose upper end is formed into a bearing 8 positioned parallel with and preferably co-axially with the trunnions. An anti-friction bearing unit 9 within the bearing 8 carries an independently rotatable support shaft 10 which has a positiomng member H on its inner end adapted to enter a recess l2 in the left trunnion D of the cradle.

The support shaft I0 is associated with a sight and sight mount similar to the disclosure in my patent previously referred to. Briefly, it carries a pin I3 which constitutes the axis of cross-level and is parallel to the axis of bore of the gun. Mounted on the pin is an annular bearing member l4 embraced by an annular sight mount l5 that is rotatable with respect to the bearing member. 10

The upper portion of the sight mount is formed with a socket l6 for receiving an adapter I! which supports a telescopic sighting instrument I 8.

The lower portion of the sight mount pivotaliy carries a worm wheel sector l9 mounted to slide in a block 20 secured to an arm 2 I of a rocker 2i journaled on the bearing 8. The block 20 also carries a shaft 22 having a worm 22 in mesh with the sector l9 and serving to move the sight mount about the axis of cross-level l3.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 the rocker 2| is formed with an arcuate rack 23 meshing with a worm 24 on an operating shaft 25 carried by the offset portion 1 of the bracket 5. A minor portion of the movement provided by this arrangement is for the purpose of shifting the sight mount as an entity through a longitudinal angle to compensate for subsidence-ofathe parriage or lack of foreandtaft level A spirit level 26 carried by the sight mount indicates when the sight mount is levelled longitudinally.

The major portion of the movement provided by the rack 23 and operating shaft 25 is for the purpose of lowering the sighting mechanism to a substantially horizontal position (Fig. 2) when not in use and thereby reducing its liability to damage, especially during travel. When the gun is brought into action the sighting mechanism is quickly and easily moved into operative position.

I claim:

1. In combination, a gun carriage, a cradle having trunnions in the carriage, a bracket secured to the carriage and including a bearing, a support shaft journaled in the bearing coaxial with one of the trunnions and having a positioning member engaging said one of the trunnions, a sight mounting carried by the support shaft, a rocker journaled on the said bearing of the bracket and associated with the sight mounting, a segmental rack on the rocker, and operating mechanism carried by the bracket for angularly displacing the rack and sight mounting, said rack being of suflicient angular extent to permit displacement of the sight mounting between a horizontal and a vertical position.

2. In combination, a gun carriage, a cradle having trunnions in the carriage, a bracket secured to the carriage and including a bearing, a support shaft journaled in the bearing, a sight mounting carried by the support shaft, a rocker journaled on the said bearing of the bracket and associated with the sight mounting, a segmental rack on the rocker, and operating mechanism carried by the bracket for angularly displacing the rack and sight mounting, said rack being of suflicient angular extent to permit displacementof the sight mounting between a horizontal and a vertical position.

3. In combination, a gun carriage, a cradle having trunnions in the carriage, a bracket secured to the carriage and including a bearing,

a support shaft journaled in the bearing, a sight mounting carried by the support shaft, a rocker journaled on the said bearing of the bracket and connected with the sight mounting, a segmental rack on the rocker, and operating mechanism carried by the bracket for angularly displacing the rack. g

4. In combination, a gun carriage, a cradle having trunnions in the carriage, a bracket secured to the carriage and including a bearing coaxial with one of the trunnions, a support shaft journaled in the bearing and having a positioning member engaging said one of the trunnions, and a sighting device carried by the support shaft. 

